


Flyby

by peggy_hamilton



Series: Band Of Brothers Imagines [7]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 17:24:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20231596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peggy_hamilton/pseuds/peggy_hamilton
Summary: You're a WAC pilot, you and George keep in touch through letters throughout your time at war





	Flyby

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr justthinkingofwaystoavoidbusses
> 
> original request: Do you think I could get a fic about a WAC Pilot who falls in love with George Luz and they attempt to write to each other throughout the war until they get to Germany and meet up again? Omg I love your writing so much!!! Thank you! - anon

You had always loved planes, whenever there were events nearby where they would parade around the old planes they had used in the Great War you had been the first one there. You had only dreamed of being able to go up in one yourself and fly around.

That dream came true when the war broke out. It was an awful thing but this was your chance to fly, you had joined the WAC the second you heard about it and had asked to be trained as one of their pilots. The training included lots of basic training first, which was way more physical activity than you had ever wanted to do but you knew it would all be worth it.

Learning to fly was terrifying and thrilling at the same time, of course they taught you first through lectures then co-piloting then piloting with an instructor. Before you could become fully qualified you would need over 100 hours of flying under your belt, then you would either be assigned as a pilot for the C-47’s a drop the paratroopers wherever they went or become a fighter pilot.

You spent your time flying between bases over the country and then you were moved to England to continue training some more, that was where you met George Luz. He was one of the guys training to be a paratrooper at the base, he had come over to you once when you were getting out of the plane and he had been shocked that you were a female pilot. After that he had always seemed to be around, at first he was like an annoying shadow but he quickly grew on you. You met all the guys in easy company and when you found out you were being assigned a C-47 for the jump you had requested to fly easy company; you had the utmost faith in your fellow pilots but you didn’t want to chance anything.

Tensions were high around camp for everyone, which was why it took you so long to figure out that the butterflies in your stomach weren’t just to do with the impending invasion but rather George himself. He had charmed his way into your heart, landed right in the centre of your universe before you even knew it, such was the paratrooper way you supposed.

—

“You gonna be alright?” you asked George, his chute and gear was all packed up and he had smeared grease over his face like the rest of the guys.

He nodded, “Yeah, you?”

“I’m not the one dropping into Normandy,” you pointed out.

“No,” he agreed, “But you’ll be in the planes, too. Anti aircraft and all that, once I jump I’m out of the plane. You’re not.”

You gave him the best reassuring smile you could muster, “They’ve trained us for that. I’ll be fine, trust me. You’ve got everything you need?”

“Yup, and a stupid leg back,” he rolled his eyes, shuffling his leg in annoyance at the extra weight.

You snorted, “Good luck with that, I get the feeling it’ll get lost.”

“No shit,” he smiled. Your stomach swarm with butterflies again and you pushed them aside, you were about to go to war now was not the time for feelings. Someone gave the call to start boarding up and you hugged George tightly, you felt him press a small kiss to your forehead before you pulled away. You gave him another sad smile then moved away to get settled into the cockpit of the C-47 you were going to fly.

—

You were calm. You had trained for this and when you took off you no longer felt panicked, you were okay with everything that was happening as you knew that now there was nothing left to do. Every so often you asked your copilot for a checkup and everything was in working order, you knew the boys in the back must be going crazy with the pressure and you didn’t envy them one bit.

As you were nearing Normandy you caught sight of explosions mid air, “They’ve got anti aircraft,” you stated, there was no way to slow down. You could only go forward. The plane was now closer still and the planes all around you were getting hit, “They’ve got to jump! Now!” you yelled over the sound of artillery fire.

Your copilot looked at you like you were crazy, “We’re nowhere near the DZ!”

Angrily you flipped the red switch, “We won’t make it that far,” you argued as you had to violently swerve the plane to the left to dodge an oncoming hit.

It had been two minutes, you were flying lower and lower trying to stay out of the firing range but it was no use. You flicked the green switch, you were flying way too low and way too fast but it was either that or everyone on the plane would die. “Are they jumping!?”

Your co pilot turned in his seat to look out the window whist you kept a firm grip on the steering handles. “Yes!” he yelled back to you, noting the stream of parachutes behind you and assuming it was the men from your plane, he couldn’t see anymore jumping and settled back into his seat, “They’re all gone!”

You breathed a small sigh of relief and hoped they all made it safely to the ground, the relief didn’t last long because they were aiming at you again. You turned the plane as fast as you could and started flying back the way you came, you turned to your copilot just as a bullet shot through the glass and through his head. You screamed but had to keep flying, a blast hit the side of the place and you knew you were falling, any second the entire thing would be engulfed in flames.

Without so much as a second thought you pulled the ejection lever and you were thrust out of the plane and parachuted softly to the ground. You were pretty far away from anything at this point so you made it safely and slowly down. They had told you if this were to happen you needed to find the nearest allied force and find a way to make it back to England, you picked a direction and began walking.

—

George,

How was your jump? I hope I didn’t make anything too complicated but there was nothing to do about the altitude and speed at that point. Mine was a bit chaotic afterwards, the plane got shot down but I managed to escape. They’ve put me on fighter planes and supply drops, maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of you if I fly overhead.

Stay safe, Y/N xxx

—

You made it back to England a week and a half later, almost instantly they assigned you as a fighter pilot. You were going to fly a hellcat on your own which you were fine with, you were up in the air heading back into Europe with a force of twenty other planes. That day you did airstrikes across France where the Germans were holding up, in the air you encountered some other German planes but you were able to shoot some down and make it through the fight.

—

Y/N,

The jump was fine, you almost killed me flying the way you did but I guess that just means you owe me a dance. I may have misread this but it says your plane got shot down? I don’t know how I feel about that but none of it’s good, so you better keep safe.

We’re about to move out again, everything has been way worse than they said it would be in training but I guess we all knew that would happen. Either way, I’ll be sure to wave at overflying planes just in case it’s you.

Love, George xxx

—

As the days got further and further away from D-day you were doing more supply drops or providing cover and backup to small fights out on the ocean. It was hectic work with the constant threat of being shot down but you had made it this far and you weren’t going to give up yet.

You thought about George and awful lot, you thought about how he was doing and if he was okay. If he had died, how long would it take you to find out? You didn’t know each other’s families so it wasn’t as if they could tell the other, and you weren’t sure if the other men in his company or your fellow pilots knew about your relationship. Was it a relationship? The feelings were there and they definitely ran deep, you knew those facts were true for the both of you, but you had never talked about it or taken it any further.

Just as well, the middle of the war was no such time for something like that.

—

“George!” you yelled as you saw him.

He spun round at the sound of his name and he lit up when he saw you, “Y/N!” he yelled back, you were already running over to him and he hugged you and spun you around, he set you back down and squeezed you tight for extra measure. “You’re alive,” he breathed.

“So are you,” you smiled, “How’ve you been?”

“Bit of this, bit of that,” he smiled, “Come on in.” You walked into the bar with him, it was full of soldiers in their dress greens and you could see the clear separation between the replacements and veterans.

You sat at a table with him, Bill and Muck, some of the other guys would come and go, “Hey fellas,” you greeted as you slid in next to George.

Bill smiled big, “Well if it isn’t he one and only Y/N. How’s it going?”

“Bit of this, bit of that,” you smield, sharing a look with George when he nudged you gently with his shoulder. The others didn’t notice or pretended not to, a few minutes later you saw Bill practically threatening a replacement then inviting him to the table.

You rolled your eyes, “Men,” you muttered under your breath and leaned forward to join the conversation with ‘Babe’. “So you’re a dame?” the new kid asked her.

“Yeah, so what?” you narrowed your eyes at him.

“Nothing, nothing,” he held up his hands, “Just curious as to why you’re here.”

“I’m a WAC pilot. I drop supplies, paratroopers and fight.”

His eyes widened, “Holy cow. Really?”

“Yep!” George exclaimed with a proud smile, throwing a seemingly casual arm over your shoulders, “Flew me in on D-day. Gotta say though, bumpy ride,” he laughed.

“Oh shut up,” you playfully nudged him. Babe was alright for a replacement and you knew it wouldn’t be long before he was fully a part of the easy company gang.

—

The drop into Holland was like heaven. It was just like training and you could follow protocol to the letter, you were flying slow and high and all men floated gently to the ground. You looped back round and you could see the last of the parachutes falling to the ground, that was the last time you would see the boys for a long while and you hoped that they made it far enough for you to see them again.

—

“What do you mean we can’t supply them?” you asked angered as you looked at your CO.

“There’s too much fog and mist, we could be supplying the Germans.”

“I’d rather risk it than not even try.”

“There aren’t enough supplies to risk it. We’ll wait for the fog to clear,” you CO said with an air of finality and you had to bite your tongue.

“Yes sir.” George was out there, easy was out there in the midst of one of the worst battles of the war freezing to death and you were sat in HQ arguing over whether or not to supply them. It was killing you, every time a report came in you hovered around trying to hear the latest news but you were always ushered away before you could find out.

This was one of the worst winters Belgium had ever faced and American troops were out there, you knew they desperately needed supplies but you had orders from the top to wait. They couldn’t afford you to wait.

Thankfully, three days later the fog cleared. You boarded the plane, happy to be finally back in a pilot’s seat. You took off and flew over the county and over the forest, you saw the first clearing and pressed the drop button, opening up a hole in the bottom of the plane for the food and ammo to drop out. You hoped you had judged it right and not given the Germans the supplies but there was nothing you could do.

Amongst the planes were fighter planes in case the Germans mounted an attack. You looked down at the ground to see men running to the drop, up in the air you had no idea whose line was whose. It was a rookie mistake running out like that but you knew they must have been so excited by the drop they threw caution to the wind, in your heart you knew that was easy and your heart sank when the fighter planes began shooting at them as they all circled back overhead to go back to base.

You didn’t see anybody get hit but you couldn’t be certain from up here, you just hoped that the drop was enough to last them till the next one. The fog fell over the forest once more and you knew that there would be no more supply drops to them.

—

George,

I’ve heard you are in Bastogne. I imagine by the time you receive this letter you no longer will be, if the delivery of post is delayed half as much as that for supplies then who know when you will manage to read this.

I flew over you yesterday, or however long it had been when you read this, I hope you managed to salvage the supplies and that they were enough to bring you a little something. Apologies for my fellow pilots firing on you (if it was you, which I believe it was) but we can’t tell who is friend or foe from the sky.

Try your best to stay warm, as unhelpful advice that may be, you’ve made it too far for me to give up on you now.

Love, Y/N xxx

—

Y/N,

We got mail when we moved positions to overlook Foy, That drop was a week or two now but I don’t mind when I get your letter, I’m just glad it’s not a dear john. Was that weird? I know we haven’t said anything but I think we both know where this could go if it weren’t for Hitler attempting world domination. Or maybe you don’t, in which case ignore the last three sentences.

The supply drop helped a bit but we’ve already run out, we’re waiting to attack Foy but until then it’s just a whole bunch of hurry up and wait.

I’m not giving up on you either, just so you know.

Love, George xxx

—

As the war seemed to come closer to the end you were mainly doing supply drops to the troops all across Europe and Africa, you liked to think you would be better at the geography of it all after over a year of flying around the place but they never let you fly the same route more than twice just incase the enemy caught on.

Other airborne infantries were making drops near and into Germany and you would fly them in but you weren’t generally assigned to them. You were spending more time grounded on base than up in the air, you had become so used to it that you felt antsy on the ground. Down here you had no control, no vantage point, all in all it sucked.

News of concentration camps spread fast, they were being found all over the place as the Allies progressed further and further into Germany’s capital. When you had found out you wanted to be sick, then you thought about George and if he had been a part of one of the units to find a camp. In all likelihood, he probably had been.

It had been months since you had last seen George, it had been around August and it was now well into spring. You wondered if he looked the same, sounded the same, acted the same. He had most likely changed, as had you, you just hoped that when he saw you his feelings were still the same. You still felt just as strongly about him as the day you last saw him.

—

George,

I hear you’ve made it into Germany. The war seems to be coming to an end, Hitler shot himself and German forces are surrendering. In some ways i don’t want the war to end. Not because of the men dying, but because I have nothing to go back to. I don’t even know what home is anymore. Plus I love flying and I know that when I go back I will never be able to do so again, which is a shame considering they barely have me flying now that there’s no use for it.

But of course the sooner the end of the war comes the sooner I can see you again, so maybe there is some positive for it.

Love Y/N xxx

—

Y/N,

I know what you mean, I feel the same. You can always call Rhode Island home if you wanted, I wouldn’t mind at all, not one bit. And I promise I will save every penny I ever earn so that one day I can buy you your own plane, even if it takes twenty years, I promise I’ll do it.

Love George xxx

—

You had all of George’s letters tucked inside your inner pocket, you had kept all of them no matter how long and you had quite a stack of them now. Some were old and crumpled, some dirtied and some were brand new on fresh white paper clearly stolen from a house in a town they had passed through.

Not that you minded, you were just glad to have a piece of him with you at all time. You had your feet propped up on the dash of the jeep as you rode through the German countryside, the war was over. VE day had been two days ago, it would be a while before the men would be sent back home though so they still needed food supplies. Seeing as there a was no need for a drop you were driving them, you weren’t driving though, you were just enjoying the wind as it hit your face.

The back seat was stacked up with boxes of food and soap and smokes and chocolate, all the things they needed. The driver turned a corner and you gasped at the sight of the mountains and the lake, it was all so beautiful.

You helped start unpacking the boxes when you heard someone call your name, turning around confused you spotted George sprinting towards you. He collided with you and you both nearly fell to the ground but he somehow managed to keep you both upright, he lifted you off your feet and spun you around. You laughed breathlessly as he finally sat you down and pulled you into another tight hug, “I didn’t know you were here.”

“I can’t believe you’re here,” he replied.

“How long have you been here?”

“A week or so.”

“You didn’t tell me we were going to see the 101st,” you scolded the driver, he gave you an unbothered look and you turned back to George, “Where are the guys?” you asked.

He shrugged, “Around, having fun, getting drunk.”

“And you’re not doing that because?”

“I was hungover all day yesterday, I needed to clear my head,” he grinned.

You shook your head in exasperation and smiled, “I can imagine.”

He took your hand in his, “C’mon I wanna show you something.” He led you across the field and up the large hotel by the lake, he pulled you behind him as he easily maneuvered through the vast hallways and staircases until you had made it to the roof.

The view from up here took your breath away, you could see all around and you felt tears fill your eyes at the sheer beauty of it all. “Pretty impressive, huh?” George elbowed you lightly.

You huffed a laugh and nodded in agreement, “Yeah.”

A while later you were laying side by side on the roof, you were tucked under his arm as the sun set around the mountains. “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?” he asked.

“In your letter. That I could call Rhode Island home.”

He shifted to face you properly, “Always,” he whispered sincerely, his eyes flickered from your to your lips and you slowly leant in to each other. The kiss was gentle and soft but an outpouring of the emotions that had been brewing between you for going on two years now. When you broke apart you smiled softly at each other, giggling like school kids as the sun slowly disappeared. Neither of you moved or let go of each other, you had waited too long for this.


End file.
